Challenge Entry Holiday: A Kagami Carol
by Zokusho
Summary: Just before Christmas, Konata gets Kagami into serious trouble. So serious that it threatens their very existence. This is a Mostly Lucky Star Forum Holiday Challenge entry. Rated T for language and stuff.


**Fan Fiction Challenge 6: A Kagami Carol**

This is a story written for the 6th challenge – the Holiday Challenge – on Mostly Lucky Star Forum. For Christmas, it just _had_ to be … well, you'll see. Rated T for the language and adult themes.

Oh, and I don't own Lucky Star. If I did, there would be 2nd season.

* * *

"Hiiragi," Sakuraba-sensei grunted right after she had stepped into the classroom.

While it wasn't unusual that Sakuraba-sensei simply went to the point, it was unusual for her to address Kagami as Hiiragi. Normally she would call her 'class rep', and delegate her something she herself couldn't be bothered with. Kagami raised her head and asked, "Yes, sensei?"

"Go to principal's office," sensei said, sat down at her desk, and lifted her feet onto the table. An unthinkable thing to do, especially for women, but everyone was since long became used to Sakuraba-sensei's antics.

The entire class 3-C started to mutter and murmur.

Kagami couldn't believe her ears. "What, me?" she gasped, pointing at herself – in the Japanese way, aiming her finger at her nose.

"Yep," Sakuraba-sensei confirmed, and concentrated on opening a bar of Caloriemate she had fished off the pocket of her signature white lab coat. Eating in classroom was also unthinkable. Except for this teacher.

Kagami felt her cheeks burn already, because she was now the center of undivided attention. As she stood up, she accidentally tipped her chair over, sending it clattering onto the floor.

Even Misao had now snapped awake. "Hiiragi! What have you done?"

"Nothing! It's not … something I've done. It can't be!" Kagami groaned. She set up her chair and pushed it below her desk nervously, making it screech and bang. She turned around so that her twin tails swept in the air, and hurried out of the classroom.

"Yo, Hiiragi, stuff an exercise book into your panties! That makes the paddle hurt much less," Misao – a thrice visitor to Principal's office – yelled after her.

Kagami shivered. She knew Kusakabe was only joking. Hopefully.

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Nervously, Kagami knocked onto the secretary's door. This wasn't the first time she had been to Principal's office, but all the previous meetings had prearranged, about class rep matters.

"Come in," she heard the voice of Principal's secretary, a scary woman in her late 50's, who never smiled and who knew everything that happened in the school, from the rumors whispered in girls' toilet to all the latest test results of third-years.

But this time Kagami almost forgot her as she saw who was sitting on the couch, waiting to be called inside the office as well. A very short girl, whose abundant blue hair almost reached the floor. Konata was swinging her feet which didn't quite reach the floor, and had a weird expression. She was smiling a bit, at first staring at the floor, as if she didn't want to look at Kagami. If Kagami hadn't known better, it felt like Konata was ... embarrassed. Or regretful.

"What the – " Kagami forced herself to stop before she said anything rude, and instead said, "What are you doing here, Konata!"

"Umm … he he …" Konata chuckled, but the laugh sounded forced. "I, hm … was, you know, sort of, called to Principal's, eh, office, umm … you see … oh! … Hi, Kagami! I forgot to say hi! How are you doing?"

"What on earth are you blathering about, you little twerp!" Kagami growled. The secretary's glasses glinted as she glanced at Kagami. But, she decided not to say anything, just shook her head slightly and returned to her paperwork.

Kagami didn't even notice. Her piercing eyes were focused on Konata, and she had taken a few steps closer.

Konata looked around, as if seeking for an escape route.

"Stop looking around for an escape route and explain –"

A loud buzz from the intercom interrupted Kagami. "You may go in now," the secretary said.

"Me? Or Kona– Izumi?" Kagami asked.

"Both of you."

At this point, a cold shiver went through Kagami. She had just realized what this would be about.

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"…and, since we are now giving more attention to copying homework, you are both expelled for two weeks," the Principal finished his lecture.

Both Kagami and Konata had turned pale and were staring at him in a wide-eyed horror.

"And that's about it. You may get your bags from the class, and then leave the school premises. Secretary will fill the official papers which you are to show to your guardians, and give you the details."

In a stupor, both girls stood up on their shaky knees, bowed, and, without saying a word, walked out into the secretary's room.

They had been given the papers, gotten their bags – Kagami didn't explain anything to her classmates and Sakuraba-sensei didn't seem to even notice – and changed their shoes, and only after they were standing on the empty school front yard, Kagami started to come back to her senses.

The shock was now quickly being replaced by anger. Blood red, boiling, fierce anger against a certain annoying blue-haired twerp, who had never gave her any peace on earth unless she was allowed to copy Kagami's homework.

Konata sensed that Kagami had stopped walking and turned around.

Her bag slipped from her fingers when she saw Kagami.

Once, she had drawn a picture where Kagami had breathed fire. Now, that drawing was quickly becoming reality. Kagami's face had turned bright red. Her narrowed eyes were red too, and tears were flowing on her cheeks. But she was not crying. These were tears of anger. Her hands, all tendons tensed, were reflectively clutching at Konata's throat.

Konata took a step backwards and almost tripped over her school bag. "K-K-" her friend's name she was trying to gasp was stuck into her throat.

Kagami was so angry that she screamed at the top of her lungs, sending a stream of unintelligible words echoing through the schoolyard. As if a master martial artist had shouted a _kiai_ at her, Konata felt all strength draining from her limbs, and her knees buckled. She put her hands behind her back, closed her eyes and decided to take, like a woman, whatever punishment Kagami had in storage for her.

She waited for a punch, a knock on the top of her head, or at the very least a slap onto the face, but not even after a full thirty seconds, which had felt like hours, nothing happened. After the first outburst, she could only hear Kagami breathing heavily.

Finally Konata decided to open her eyes. To her relief, Kagami's bloodshot eyes were not burning holes through her, but she was staring at the ground, her messy hair covering her face from Konata.

"Kaga –" she was instantly interrupted by Kagami's low, husky voice. Apparently that screaming had made her vocal chords tired. In any other circumstances, it would have been funny, but the words Kagami's said felt like icicles poking at Konata's heart.

"Shut up. If this damages my college career, I will kill you. I mean it. Meanwhile … I don't want to see you. I don't want to hear from you. Maybe … never again. – shut it!" Kagami added, when she sensed that Konata was about to open her big mouth. "Do not talk to me. Do not call me. Do not mail me. Do not even _try_ to apologize. I don't want to hear a single word from you. I will go now, and God help you if you try to follow me."

Kagami picked up her bag and passed Konata, without looking at her.

Konata fell onto her knees and let out a long, shaky sigh of relief. After a moment of rest, she looked up and saw loads of students, possibly alarmed by Kagami's scream, staring at her through the school windows. She had not planned to cry anyway – or so she told herself. So she just took her bag, got up, grinned widely, and waved at the people. Then she was able turn around and hide her face again.

She just hoped her walking would look normal.

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At first, the next week did not go _too_ badly. Tsukasa brought her Ayano's notes every day, and she kept studying. Being grounded – after an embarrassing and strict but thankfully short lecture from her parents – was actually beneficial, because there wasn't much else to do but study.

As the days passed, Konata seemed to keep her promise. Kagami had not received a single call, mail, or any contact from Konata. By the third day, the peace and quiet started to get onto her nerves somehow. She became tempted to ask Tsukasa whether she had had any contact with her blue-haired friend, but somehow it never feel right to ask. After all, Kagami had been the one who didn't want anything to do with Konata.

By the seventh day, she was pacing back and forth in her room like a caged animal. Had it really been Konata's fault? Wasn't she herself as much at fault for allowing her to copy her homework. "Why did I let her have her way with me? Why would I do everything for her? It's not like I allow Kusakabe to copy my homework. Or even Tsukasa. Why –" she muttered, not realizing she was thinking aloud.

"Onee-chan?" Tsukasa piped. She was standing at the doorway.

"Gyaah! How long you've been there?" Kagami screamed.

Tsukasa flinched and the tray she was carrying tilted dangerously, almost sending the plate sliding off and spilling the cup of tea. "S-sorry! I didn't mean to surprise you … I did knock! You didn't answer! … It's just … I-it's Christmas Eve and I brought you a slice of strawberry cake … and a cup of tea."

Kagami felt so sorry for snapping at her little sister that she had to swallow her tears. "No, I'm sorry … thank you, Tsukasa."

Tsukasa, while still obviously in shock, forced a smile onto her face and said, "It's okay, sis. I'm sorry I did not knock harder."

She placed the tray onto Kagami's nightstand and quickly left the room.

"… I didn't realize it was Christmas Eve," Kagami muttered, after Tsukasa had gone.

She took a plate and placed it plate onto the table. The slice of cake had two strawberries. Obviously Tsukasa had had to fight to get her that particular slice. Usually there was hardly even one strawberry for everyone.

Two strawberries. Like, two friends. Spending Christmas Eve together.

Kagami slumped down at table and buried her head into her arms.

As she woke up sometime later, she noticed that it was 10 P.M. On that special night, which you should spend with someone you love. As always, this was a night she was spending alone. Not that she really had had anyone to spend it with.

"Forever alone …" she sighed.

Not even her twin sister was available. Tsukasa never manages to stay awake in the first place. She had probably gone asleep already. And, frankly, Tsukasa was no substitution for –

She knew that Konata had a work shift tonight, unless she was grounded as well. Probably not, knowing her father. Instinctively, she was reaching for her phone, thinking of giving Konata a call.

"I can't go to cosplay café since I'm grounded –" Kagami muttered, and immediately realized, "– why the hell would I _go_ there! Why would I call her! I _hate_ that blue-haired idiot! I said to her I never wanted to see her again! … besides, she doesn't carry her cell phone or the battery is out anyway."

Frustrated, she swept all her schoolbooks and pens off the table, forgetting the slice of Christmas cake Tsukasa had brought her. The plate clattered onto the floor and the slice of cake was squashed under the world history textbook. Quickly, she snatched the book and found out that the slice of cake was ruined and the book was stained with squished strawberry and whipped cream.

This was the last straw. She flung the book against the wall, banged her head onto the desk, and groaned, "I wish I had never been born!"

Mercifully, she drifted into sleep again, giving her a moment of rest from her thoughts.

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"Hiiragi!" a voice shouted directly into her ear.

Kagami was startled awake and looked up – and found herself staring into Misao's eyes at a distance of two inches.

"Aaahhh!" Kagami screamed, and pulled back so quickly that she fell onto her back, sending pens and books flying. "What the hell are you doing here, Kusaka –"

Kagami stopped shouting and her mouth was left hanging open.

Misao straightened herself and grinned at her, showing her cute little fang. She was wearing a long, white gown, carrying an elaborate, colorful "magic wand" obviously made of plastic; she had a pair of white feathered wings, and a mysterious glowing halo floating above her head. And she looked younger than the Misao that Kagami knew. This Misao looked 13-year old, at most.

"H-how … what … who …" Kagami stuttered.

The angelic Misao cleared her throat, and announced, "I'm the Guru of Christmas Pasta!" and swung her plastic wand dramatically.

"Excuse me?" Kagami gasped.

"Uh, I mean … Gu-hostu … of Christmas … Pastu!" she tried to correct herself, with a terrible accent.

"… Ghost of Christmas Past?"

Misao snapped her fingers and pointed at Kagami. "Yep, that's it! You're good with Engrish, Hiiragi!"

Kagami pinched her arm as hard as she could, and screamed, "Oww!"

"Why are you torturing yourself, Hiiragi? That's my job!" Misao exclaimed.

"I tested whether I was dreaming or not!"

"Hiiragi, Hiiragi. Don't you know that if you pinch yourself in a dream, it will still hurt. But, I assure you, this is not a dream. I've got the assignment here."

The angelic 13-year-old Misao fished out a scroll of paper from inside her gown. "Ahem. 24th of December, Heisei 19, at 8:34:10 P.M. Japan Standard Time, my apprentice _miko_ Kagami Hiiragi recited the following wish: _'I wish I had never been born'_. Before this wish can be granted, certain procedures shall be executed."

"What?" Kagami gasped.

"It means we have to show you what it's going to be like if you had never been born."

Kagami pinched herself again, harder. "Ow-oww!"

The angelic Misao giggled. "Do that again! Saves me the trouble! Nah, just kidding. I'm not here to torture you. I'm just going to show you something."

She waved her plastic wand dramatically, exclaimed, "Ping!", and gently slapped Kagami on the head with the wand.

The world spun in Kagami's eyes for a few seconds, and then she found herself outside, on a sidewalk. The angelic Misao was there with her. It was rather dark and snowflakes were falling slowly from the sky. Kagami's twin sister Tsukasa was standing nearby. But she looked much younger – thirteen years or so, and she was wearing their junior high uniform. Her nose was red and she was shivering a bit with the cold.

"Tsukasa! Why do you look like that?" Kagami shouted. Tsukasa didn't react.

"She can't see or hear us," the angelic Misao noted. "This is five years earlier."

"Hiiragi! Yo, Hiiragi!" Misao's piercing voice called. Kagami turned and saw younger version of Misao coming. She was also wearing the junior high uniform.

"Oh, hi, Misa-chan! I'm waiting for Aya-chan," Tsukasa said.

"I'll wait here too – wait, are you cold?" Misao asked.

"Well, I couldn't find my scarf …" Tsukasa said, and sniffed.

Misao unwrapped part of her own winter scarf and wrapped it around Tsukasa's neck.

"So warm …" Tsukasa sighed, and snuggled closer to Misao. "I'm so happy that I got such good mates."

"Yeah! Best friends forever! And I hope we will be on the same class next year. And all the years!"

"Misa-chan! Tsukasa-chan!" Ayano yelled. She was hurrying towards them.

"Whoa!" Misao gasped, as Ayano slipped and nearly fell. "Be careful – gakkk!" Misao tried to rush to help her friend, but she had forgotten the scarf, which tightened around their necks and strangled her and Tsukasa.

"Misa-chan, you are the one who should be careful," Ayano said, and helped them with the scarf.

"Anyway, I was just saying that it's great to have friends," Tsukasa said. "Aya-chan … where's your other mitten?" she asked, when she saw that Ayano's left hand was bare.

"I don't know. I must have lost it," Ayano said.

Tsukasa took her hand and put it inside her own mitten.

"Ah, so warm …" Ayano sighed. "But can we three walk to school like this?"

"Of course we can. We might be late, though …" Tsukasa sighed. "But I'll rather be warm and late!"

Misao and Ayano laughed and snuggled closer to Tsukasa. "Let's have Christmas party together this Christmas?" Tsukasa suggested.

Awkwardly, they started walking, but seemed to get the hang of it after a few paces.

"Yeah, and hot sake!" Misao exclaimed.

"Sake? You have sake?" Tsukasa said. "Cool!"

"Do you think Santa-san will come …" – "What, are you a kid, Ayano …"

Their voices faded as they walked around the corner.

The angelic Misao stared at Kagami.

"What?" Kagami hissed. "So, Tsukasa is happy and has friends. Everything's fine without me."

"Well …" the angelic Misao said, and scratched her head. "You'll see."

She smacked Kagami with the wand again.

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Kagami flinched and raised her head. She was still sitting at her table in her room.

"What a strange dream!" she groaned.

"Ahem," a voice said. Kagami turned around and saw a foreign girl, a blonde, dressed in a "Santa's little helper" outfit. Being a Japanese version, this outfit consisted of a red fishnet stockings, a red miniskirt, a skimpy red top, leaving plenty of her hefty chest region exposed, and a Santa hat.

"Pa-Patricia?" Kagami gasped.

Patricia, apparently, chuckled, and commented, "You guys always say it like 'Patorisuha'. Anyway, I'm not Patricia. I'm the Ghost of Christmas Present!"

"I'm not going to pinch myself," Kagami said. "Just let me wake up already. I don't want to have this dream."

"This is not a dream. I am going to show you how things would be right now, well, given a day or three, if you had never been born," the Patricia-Santa's Little Helper-Ghost announced, and pointed a finger at Kagami.

Kagami sighed. "I guess there's nothing I can do to stop you."

The world spinned again, and Kagami found herself in one of the classrooms of Ryōō High. There was a lot of noise – students were hanging around in small groups and chatting about various things. Obviously their teacher had not yet arrived.

Kagami saw Tsukasa, Misao, and Ayano together in one corner.

"Yes, I know the routine. They can't see us," she said to Patricia-Ghost. "So my little sister is in the same class with those two? That's good, then. Can we please go now?"

"Oh no. Take a closer look," Patricia said, and pointed at the trio.

Sighing deeply, Kagami walked closer and looked at them. And saw that something was wrong.

Ayano looked possibly the most normal of those three, except that she was wearing some makeup. Eyeliner and pink lipstick? Technically, that wasn't even allowed at school.

Misao, on the other hand – she wasn't even wearing her school uniform properly. She did have the red skirt of the winter uniform, but no scarf. Also, she had a short, black leather jacket thrown over her shirt. She had short, messy hair, which was dyed black.

And Tsukasa. Kagami's little twin sister – or, just the youngest Hiiragi sister, in case Kagami really had never existed. Tsukasa did have the school uniform, but her shirt was not tucked into the skirt, and her scarf was hanging open. She had also rolled her sleeves up. On her left hand, Tsukasa was wearing a fingerless black leather glove. She was facing the other two delinquents, so Kagami couldn't see her face. At this point she really didn't even want to. As Tsukasa turned her head, Kagami saw that her expression looked somehow … tough. And mean. She had black lipstick, and a piercing on her lower lip. The familiar yellow ribbon was gone. Her hair was still the same lilac, but shorter, and sticking out into all directions.

The things they were talking about were also wrong. Where the party would be the next weekend. Where to get the alcohol from. Which boys were going to show up. Who they were going to have sex with and how.

Disgusted, Kagami stopped listening to them, and turned away.

"Fine. I've heard enough. Would you just let me –" she forgot what she was staying as Konata came in.

Finally someone who looked exactly as she remembered. Kagami almost yelled her name, before realizing she wouldn't hear anything. But why did Konata sneak into the class like that? What was with that expression? Why does she look so … frightened?

"Yo, look, the fucking otaku is here!" Tsukasa yelled. Half of the class turned to look at the door and the noise stopped.

The shocking words that had just came off Tsukasa's pierced lips felt like someone had slapped Kagami's face. That one sentence told her more things, things she had not wanted to know about.

Quietly, and trying not to look anyone in the eye, Konata hurried to her desk and sat down.

The trio of Tsukasa, Misao, and Ayano burst into laughter, and then continued their discussion. The other students in class either took a disgusted look at Konata, or just ignored her right away.

Kagami ran to Konata and tried to touch her shoulder, but her hand went straight through. She quickly yanked her hand back.

Konata sat motionless, her dead eyes staring at the empty blackboard. She was doing absolutely nothing, just waiting for the teacher to come. There was nobody who she could talk to, and obviously taking out her hand console would have been a big mistake. For … the fucking otaku.

Kagami closed her eyes, and whispered, "Take me out of here …"

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Kagami flinched as she apparently woke up again at home. The Patricia-Ghost was gone. The books and the slice of cake were still on the floor.

"Is this still the same dream?" Kagami muttered.

There was a large puff of black smoke on the other side of the room. For a moment, Kagami thought the room had caught fire, but then, a leg wearing a long, red boot emerged from within the smoke, followed by the rest of the next intruder. This one looked exactly like Nanako Kuroi, except that she was mostly wearing red leather: high boots, a miniskirt including a collar, a very skimpy top, a pair of devilish horns on her head, and carrying a black trident in her hand. Her hair was braided, so that it wouldn't get entangled into the pair of small, batlike wings on her back.

"I never imagined the devil to look like that," Kagami noted. Certainly this sight didn't affect her nearly as much as the scene she had just recently witnessed. Actually, Kuroi-sensei looked rather hot in her succubus-like form. Kagami flinched as she realized she had been gazing at the devil-woman's prominent cleavage.

Thankfully, the devilish Kuroi-sensei didn't seem to notice. She exclaimed, "I'm not the devil, but the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come!"

She waved her trident and almost poked three holes into the roof. "But, frankly, I think this is an insult!" she added. "Me, as the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. It implies that I'm old. Well, I'm not!"

"Sorry about that," Kagami said. "– wait a minute, I didn't make all this happen, I don't have to apologize!"

"You did, when you made that stupid wish."

Kagami started to clamber up. "Yeah, right. You know what, I think I'll –"

"Stop! I must show you the Christmas Yet to Come. That is not negotiable."

Kagami sighed and waited. Kuroi-devil pointed her trident at Kagami and said, "Abracaba – I mean abradaca – oh, whatever! Starling Inferno!"

The world spun in Kagami's eyes again and she was standing on a quiet street at nighttime. Snow was again slowly falling from the sky. But this place was closer to downtown, a street which had several bars and restaurants.

"This is five years from now," devilish Kuroi explained. "See this place?"

Kagami looked around and saw a place, indeed. It was a nightclub, with a bright neon sign above the door stating its name_, "Lolicura"._ Thick curtains in the windows hid the interior from them.

"Loli club?" Kagami spat out the name. "Disgusting." She did saw the smaller sign which claimed that all the hostesses in this hostess bar were certified to be 18 years or older.

"Wanna get inside and have a beer?" devilish Kuroi suggested. "Ha ha! Just joking. The bartender won't even see us! But at least we don't have to pay to get in."

"No, I don't want to go in," Kagami muttered. She was afraid of what – or who – they would meet. Kagami didn't resist as the devilish Kuroi grabbed her arm and dragged her in; she knew it would be useless.

"Now, ordinarily mama-san here would get us a table as far from the other customers as possible …"

"What? Do you often come to places like this?" Kagami asked with a hint of sarcasm in her tone.

"Ha ha! I do, in fact. I wallow in the misery!"

"So what are we doing here anywa –"

She forgot about the question as she saw what she had already been afraid of. One of the hostess girls was particularly short and had blue hair which almost reached her heels.

Konata. Lighting a cigarette for a male customer.

At least Konata didn't look _too_ miserable. About 23 years old, as far as Kagami knew, she looked almost as young as ever. She was wearing heavy makeup, a sleazy cocktail dress with a miniskirt, pantyhose, and high heels. Obviously, she wasn't happy. She had dark bags under her eyes, and the smile directed at her customer was clearly forced.

"Yep. She never got into college," the devilish Kuroi-sensei explained.

Kagami bit her lip. She didn't want to show this devil-woman that she was at her breaking point.

Devilish Kuroi glanced at Kagami. "What? No sarcastic comments?"

Kagami stayed silent.

"She lives alone. In a filthy, tiny apartment. Oh, she still plays video games, watches anime and reads manga. That's about all she does, except for working here."

Steadfastly, Kagami declined to comment.

"You'll be happy to hear that she's still a virgin."

This was too much. "…why the hell I would be happy to hear that!" Kagami screamed.

The devilish Kuroi-sensei burst into nasty cackles and the world started spinning in Kagami's eyes again.

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She was back in her room. The difference was that now the devilish Kuroi-sensei was in there with her. Kagami remembered reading fairy tales – all the bad things came in threes. Which meant that this third Ghost must have been the last, and that this nightmare was finally about to end.

"Now that was just awful," Kagami groaned. "I have seen enough. I don't want that wish to be true. I wasn't being serious! Cancel it!"

"Sorry, no can do. It's being executed as we speak."

"What!"

Devilish Kuroi-sensei looked at the small sundial she was wearing on her wrist. "Oops. We are still five years ahead. Who cares. It'll be all over at midnight anyway. I don't think it would be appropriate to say, 'have a nice day', so I'll just say, goodbye. See you in next life," the devilish Kuroi-sensei said, waved her hand, and disappeared in a puff of black, greasy smoke.

"No!" Kagami screamed. "Come back! This was a dream! A nightmare! This can't be true!"

Kagami pinched herself, slapped herself, tried to look for something to burn herself with. But everything still felt real. Too real. No, it didn't feel like a dream at all.

The furniture, books and her belongings flickered momentarily, but came back.

Kagami blinked and took a closer look. Her books and belongings now looked sort of transparent, and someone else's bed and belongings were coming into view. As if her property was fading. Also, she felt herself starting to fade.

Fighting against panic, she forced herself to calm down, and looked at the clock. It was a bit over 11 p.m. Less than a hour to midnight.

"What can I do? … there's only one thing I can do …" Kagami muttered. And started to run.

Downstairs, she tried to tell her mother she was going out, but Miki didn't seem to hear. She didn't even seem to notice she was there. At least her coat and shoes were still there, so she dressed quickly and went outside.

"Should I go to Konata's house? Maybe not. Whether this is five years later or now … she's at work. At the Cosplay Café or at that awful place. Both are in the same area."

Her best bet was to take the train downtown and look for Konata at her workplace.

Not being noticed by anyone had its advantages. She didn't have to pay for the train trip.

But the seconds were ticking away. The trip seemed to take unusually long. She had barely fifteen minutes to midnight when she finally reached her stop.

Snow had begun to slowly fall from the sky. For now, the streets were quiet, since most people were spending their Christmas night inside the restaurants, cafes, and their own homes. _"With someone they love…"_

Kagami dodged a snowplow which was clearing the sidewalk, pushing the snow into piles by the side of the road. Yet another five seconds lost.

Finally she reached the hostess club. It looked exactly as she had seen it an hour earlier. Except that the lights were off. There was a sign at the door, telling that the club had closed earlier tonight because it was Christmas Eve.

Since she had not met Konata on the way here, she must have gone another way. If Konata still lived at home, she should have met her. So, Konata didn't live at her old home anymore.

Frantically, Kagami looked around, but there was nobody in sight. But there were many footprints in the snow. One pair of prints looked unusually small. As if a child had came out of the door and walked … up the street. The other way from which Kagami had came from.

She started running again. Somehow, it felt easy to run. As if she was getting weightless. She barely left any tracks in the snow as she ran.

In the distance, she saw a figure. An unmistakeable one. A small person, with blue hair overflowing on the back of her coat. A distinctive _ahoge_ on the top of her head. The person was walking slowly, and dragging her feet. The way she walked and the posture made it clear that she wasn't happy. She was not spending this night with anyone she loved, either.

"Konata!" Kagami screamed.

Slowly, the person turned around and glanced at her, but without showing any sign of recognizing Kagami. She called out her name again and this time Konata stopped and turned around.

"What? You talking to me?" Konata asked, not using a very polite tone. She said it like she was speaking to a complete stranger.

Kagami took a few steps closer. She didn't really know what to say. She only wanted to tell Konata how much she liked her. Only, she had really never known this Konata if this was truly happening. "K-Konata … Christmas night … spend with someone you like …" she stuttered.

"Sorry, miss. It's my name … but you must have mistaken me for someone else," Konata said, and turned around again.

Kagami froze. She felt like ice-cold talons were rending her heart. This was the end. Death. Oblivion. She had never been born and the one she loved was a wreck …

A bell tower nearby started to ring for midnight. One … Two … Three …

"Wait a minute," Kagami muttered to herself. "One I loved? Whether I exist or not, I love her. I don't care whether I disintegrate right now. I just want to tell her!"

Four … Five … Six …

Warmth returned into her heart and limbs, and she ran after Konata. Seven … Eight … Nine …

She tackled her from behind, and together they fell into the soft snow bank. Konata landed on her back, with Kagami on top of her.

Ten … Eleven …

Kagami stared at those tired emerald eyes, and said, loud and clear, "I am Kagami Hiiragi and I love you."

Twelve.

デリミタ デリミタ デリミタ

The entire world around them disappeared, leaving only darkness. Only she and Konata existed, floating in an empty void. Kagami wanted to scream but she forced herself to remain calm, in the fear it would scare Konata away.

"Funny …" Konata said. "Many men … and women … have said that to me at the bar. But I don't think any of them ever meant it."

"I mean it! I really mean it!" Kagami said.

"How could you love me? Nobody loves me."

"Because we are best friends … and more."

"I have never even met you – wait, what? Hiiragi? Are you related to one of those three idiots? You look quite like one of them."

"Three idiots?"

"Hiiragi, Kusakabe, Minegishi. Three stooges. Or more like, three bullies. The delinquents. I heard Hiiragi was kicked out from home for doing drugs. And Minegishi is working in soapland. Nobody even knows where Kusakabe is. Dead, probably."

"Oh no …"

"So I'm actually doing better than them. Talk about a cold comfort."

A tear fell on Konata's face. "All of this is my fault … I wished for something stupid and it came true …"

"I wish I could go through high school again," Konata said, and laughed. She had started to shed tears too.

Kagami smiled. "I didn't think anyone would ever wish that."

"Who knows, maybe I would have friends this time. Maybe I'd even learn something and go to college."

"Dunno about that latter part … but friends? Oh yeah. You have lots of friends. Sure, you are annoying at times … you are lazy and always copy my homework … you always tease me and make me blush … you constantly pull pranks …" Kagami's voice almost broke.

"Why are you hugging me, by the way? It's … nice, though," Konata whispered.

"I'm afraid to let go. We seem to be the only two beings that exist in this world."

Konata looked around. "Oh. So it seems. Reminds me of Cl*nnad or something."

"That's my Konata, talking about anime at a time like this!"

"Your Konata…? Kagamin, aren't you rushing things a bit? You haven't even asked me to go steady yet."

Kagami's jaw twitched. "Y-you called me Kagamin!" she cried.

"Oh, sorry, Kagami-sama!"

"Konata, you're back!"

Konata suddenly looked a lot younger and now she was wearing a Santa uniform under her overcoat. The sky and the earth and the falling snow were returning and the sounds of the city were becoming audible again. They were nestled together in snow, which felt soft and oddly warm. Maybe the warmth inside Kagami and Konata's warmth against her that made it feel so mellow.

"Kagami, why am I lying under you in a snowbank? … wait a minute, I think you just said you loved me! You have forgiven me!"

Kagami turned red. "Uh, I – of course forgive … and I love you, as your best friend. And I'm sorry at getting so mad at you."

"I luv my Kagamin too!" Konata yelled, pulled Kagami closer and locked her lips onto hers.

The warmth of Konata's lips and her scent and her touch made Kagami's head spin. Eagerly, she returned the kiss, opening her mouth slightly and brought her tongue into the play. She was not quite ready to turn this into a full French kiss, so she bashfully just licked Konata's lips. She sighed contentedly and pressed herself tighter against Konata.

Konata's left arm slithered around Kagami's arm like an attacking snake, and she pinched Kagami's nose shut in between her fingers.

Kagami had closed her eyes but now they popped open. Even after this new development, Kagami didn't really want to break the kiss, but now she was rapidly getting out of breath.

"Phwaaah!" Kagami exhaled, as she finally managed to break free, and panted, trying to get some air. "Why did you do that?" she groaned, when she was able to talk again.

"I wanted to know how Asuka felt," Konata explained. She was also panting, possibly not only from the lack of air. Her cheeks mirrored the rosy tint that Kagami knew she had on her own face.

Kagami pushed herself up and started to brush the snow off of her clothes. "How typical. My first kiss and all you can think of is anime!"

"Your first kiss…?" Konata asked, as she clambered up.

Kagami felt her cheeks burning and knew her blush had just gotten another degree brighter. "W-what? O-of course it was my first! … I mean, of course boys have asked to kiss me! Many boys! I just didn't like any of them!" she explained.

"But you like me, don't you?" Konata asked, with a smug grin on her face.

"Wipe that smug grin off of your face," Kagami muttered.

Yet, she took Konata's hand into her own and together they started walking. Kagami didn't even care where they were going. As long as Konata was with her.

* * *

Inspirations include "The Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens, Frank Capra's film "It's a Wonderful Life" (based, in turn, on Philip Can Doren Stern's short story "The Greatest Gift"), the famous doujin "Lonely Kagamin", and an incredible piece of fan art where Kagami and Konata are walking on railroad tracks, hand in hand, in a winter night.


End file.
